


A Paternal Quandary

by Roguefemme



Series: Master's Daughter Extras [3]
Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Gen, Other, Papa Asher gets help shopping for his tween bby girl, Pure silly fluff, gratuitous cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 16:22:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11467239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roguefemme/pseuds/Roguefemme
Summary: Asher loves being a (co)father to Jean-Claude's daughter, but when it comes to buying gifts for a pre-teen girl he is out of his depth. When he enlists expert help from her best friend's mother, he has no idea what he is in for.





	1. Expert Assistance Needed

**Author's Note:**

> Writing Papa Asher is just too much fun! : D
> 
> NO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO POMME DE SANG SO PLEASE STOP ASKING.

  
  
    Madeline MacNamera looked up at the knock on her door. "Who is it?"  
  
    "It is Asher."  
  
    "So help me, if he's going to start about that trapeze act again..." she muttered as she got up to answer the door. But as soon as she opened it, she knew from the look on his face that whatever he was here about, it wasn't that. He stood straight, as beautiful as always, but his pale blue eyes were uncertain, not sparkling with irritation as they were wont to when they argued about the running of the Circus, which they did with clockwork regularity. His head was tilted a little forward so golden blonde hair hid half his face, one eye only visible as a glint behind it. Since when was he this shy around her? Usually he was far too busy telling her how stubborn and exasperating she was to worry how he looked.  
  
    "This is not about the trapeze act," he said, his eyes averted. _Damn. I always forget vampire hearing_ , she thought. "I...need your help."  
  
    Her eyebrows flew up. "My help?" she repeated.  
  
    " _Oui_... may I come in?" He looked around, as if nervous they might be overheard.  
  
    "Oh. Um, sure." She stepped back to allow him into the two-room suite which she had shared with her daughter, Cameron, since they had moved into the Circus of the Damned eight years before. When Cameron became restless and demanded her own bedroom, Madeline had offered to move to smaller quarters, but Jean-Claude had blithely waved that off and assigned Cameron a room in the same hall with his daughter Mara. Madeline privately doubted the wisdom of letting the two preteens be that close, but let it go. Besides, the young half-vampire was often a good influence on Cameron- when Cameron wasn't being a not-so-good influence on her, that is.   
  
    Asher came in and walked gracefully yet hastily to the back of the room. Mystified, Madeline followed, wondering what could make the suave vampire this nervous. He took the seat she offered and waited until she came to sit. She initially took the seat across from him, but a frown crossed his face and he beckoned her closer, patting the sofa next to him. She hesitated.  
  
    "Please, _ma fleur_."    
  
    "Uh-oh," she said.  
  
    He lifted his eyebrows. " _Quoi?_ "  
  
    "I'm bracing myself. You only call me your flower when you're about to ask me for something you know I won't like."  
  
    He sighed in exasperation, crossing his arms. "You make things so difficult... Please, Madeline, just sit with me. I promise I shall not bite you," he added with a hint of sarcasm. There, now that was the Asher she knew and was annoyed by.  
  
    "Okay, okay." She sat next to him on the sofa, and he relaxed a bit. "Now tell me what's got you so antsy."  
  
     A look of annoyance crossed his face, but she could almost see him decide to let it go. As if he had heard her previous thoughts, Asher said, "It is about Mara."  
   
    "She's okay, right?" She knew the answer even before he replied- if something were wrong with Mara, Asher would be at her side. He adored and fluttered over Jean-Claude's daughter as if he himself had sired the girl. Madeline thought darkly how unfair it was that her own daughter's father did not care a fraction as much for his child as Mara's two Papas did for her. But that wasn't really fair- the Circus denizens had happily adopted Cameron and Madeline into their odd little family, so even though her genetic father wasn't to up to scratch, the girl had no lack of fond adults around to care for her.   
  
    "No, she is well," Asher said quickly. "I am simply concerned. Her thirteenth birthday is coming soon, and I understand that is considered the age when girls begin to become young women, yes?"  
  
    Madeline nodded, wondering where he was going with this. "Yes, why?"  
  
    "That is why I am here. I wish to make sure she has the things young women should have." Madeline frowned, and Asher made an impatient gesture. "I mean... feminine things."  
  
    "What, like maxi pads?" Madeline asked. Asher blinked at her, then flushed as red as Madeline had ever seen him.  
  
    " _Non, non!_ " he nearly yelped, then calmed with a visible effort. He shoved a hand through his golden-blonde hair, looking a bit hassled. At least he wasn't bothering to cover his scars anymore.  "I mean clothes and makeup, things like your Cameron and other girls her age have. Since she has begun attending school, I have noticed that she does not dress the way the others do, and I suspect it bothers her. She probably desires things that are more modern than Jean-Claude and I choose for her."  
  
    "Oh, okay. So you want me to help you pick out stuff for her?"  
  
    " _Oui_ , yes," he said with a sigh of relief. "You are a lady, and a mother, your expertise far exceeds mine in these matters. I would be most grateful for your assistance."  
  
    "It's no problem," Madeline smiled, relieved to have gotten to the bottom of the matter. "Let's see... it's still getting dark pretty late, so going to the mall probably isn't practical," she mused aloud, knowing Asher would not want to go out in public anyway. "We can get on the computers later and I'll show you some of the websites I order Cammie's clothes from. Makeup should be picked out in person, but we can go to the Q-Mart for that. They're twenty-four hours, so we can go at 3am when there's nobody there."  
  
    "But that is not a very... upscale store, is it?" Asher said, an arrogant look crossing his face. "I wish _ma douce_ to have the best."  
  
    Madeline made a face, mildly annoyed at his snobbery. "Their clothes aren't exactly top quality, but their selection of makeup is perfectly acceptable for a teenage girl."  
  
    "I shall bow to your wisdom, then, _ma fleur_ ," he said, making his words literal with a slight bow of his head. "Will you be free tomorrow evening?"  
  
    "That's fine," Madeline said.  
  
    "Then I shall see you then." He stood, and she followed suit. At the door, he paused, giving her that almost-shy glance from behind his hair. " _Merci beaucoup, ma fleur_ , Madeline. I am most grateful for your help." He hesitated, his eyes lingering on her, then gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and slipped out the door. She stood there for several moments, marveling at the marked difference fatherhood made to the arrogant vampire. He was actually cute when he was all shy and flustered and paternal. Yes, definitely cute.   
  
    It was just too bad he was such a pain in the ass the rest of the time.   
  
  



	2. Confronting Cosmetics

  
    "Okay, now what kind of makeup do you want to get?"  
  
    Madeline and Asher stood in the makeup aisle of the local Q-Mart. Asher had his hair protectively across his face, but as it was nearly 2am on a weeknight, they had seen no one except a single bored cashier they had passed on the way in. Now he blinked through the veil of hair, looking slightly shell-shocked at the vast selection of colorful cosmetics.  
  
    "Maybe we'll just get a little of everything?" Madeline prompted, and Asher nodded, relieved. "Okay... colors."  
  
    "She likes bright colors, I know," Asher offered.  
  
    "Yes, but as pale as her complexion is, it would look like clown makeup on her, especially in the daytime." Madeline patted his arm when he looked a bit crestfallen. "Just think of the colors she likes, and pick the pastel version."  
  
    Asher nodded and studied the eyeshadow display with a little more surety. "She likes purple... what do you think of this?" He picked up a small palette with three shades of sparkly pale purple eyeshadow.  
  
    "That's good, girls her age usually love sparkly makeup," Madeline approved. Asher smiled and chose a similar palette with shades of pale blue-green. At Madeline's nod, he placed it in the handbasket she held and turned to the display again. "Forget base makeup, she doesn't need that... drat, I bet they don't have a powder compact pale enough for her skin. We'll probably have to mail-order that..." she mumbled thoughtfully. "One blush should be fine," she added, much to Asher's relief, choosing one and adding it to the basket. "Eyeliner?"  
  
    "Ah," he said, relieved to encounter a cosmetic he recognized. "Black, _oui_?"  
  
    "Yes, and maybe a few pencils in other colors. Bright is okay for eyeliner, since you only use a little."  
  
    Asher knelt and examined the display as carefully as if he were choosing cloth for a new outfit. Madeline suppressed her amusement at the vampire's absorption in his task. "Perhaps this blue? Or the green? What do you think?" He held the two eyeliner pencils up for her inspection. "Or should I simply buy both?"  
  
    "This girl is going to have more makeup than any two girls need," Madeline laughed. "Cameron will be jealous."  
  
    Asher turned to her with a frown, the makeup forgotten in his hand. "Will she? Choose some makeup for her too, then." Madeline's eyebrows shot up. "Christmas is coming, and I do not wish to create hard feelings between the girls. I did not know what to buy for her gift anyway."  
  
    "This stuff isn't cheap," Madeline said dubiously. Asher dismissed that with a graceful wave of his hand.  
  
    "I enjoy pampering the children. This way they may share their fun, yes?"  
  
    Madeline laughed and shook her head. "Okay..."  
  
    "We will choose different colors for them, so they may share if they wish to. Cameron likes pink, yes?" Asher held up an eyeshadow compact in shades of pink and purple. "And green to bring out her eyes?"  
  
    "Ummm..." Madeline said, and Asher nodded once as if taking that as assent. He dropped both into the basket casually and turned back to the display. She marveled to herself at the whole new side of Asher she was seeing. Although now that she thought about it, he had always been kind to Cameron, and affectionate once he had gotten to know her.  
  
    "Why are there both liquid eyeliner and pencils?" he wondered aloud, frowning.  
  
    "Liquid eyeliner is more intense-looking. Usually you save that for evening, and use the more subtle pencils for daytime."  
  
    "Ah," he nodded, and took two liquid eyeliners from a display- one metallic blue, the other purple. "Hmm... I cannot decide... ah well, I will get a blue for Mara, a green for Cameron, and the purple for each."  
  
    "Don't you think that's a bit much?" Madeline laughed as he dropped them into the rapidly filling basket. "You're going to spoil them."  
  
    "Young girls ought to have nice things. I will put some of it back if you wish, but I would like Cameron to enjoy herself too."  
  
    Madeline shook her head. "If you want to buy her this stuff, I won't stop you."  
  
    "Good," he said decisively. "Oh... what of lipstick? _Mon Dieu_ , how many shades of pink and red can there be?" He stared at the display in consternation.  
  
    "They're a little young for lipstick. We can just get them lip gloss." She looked around, and picked up a package to show Asher. "Look, this one has six different shades."  
  
    He took the pack with an approving look. "Yes, and get the darker variety for Cameron, since her complexion is darker, is that proper?"  
  
    Madeline laughed. "Sure, that will be fine."  
  
    Asher walked further down the aisle. "Is there anything else we should buy?" He knelt, picking something up from a lower shelf. "Iridescent body glitter. It is sparkly..." He stopped and frowned at Madeline. "Where on their bodies do girls put this?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
    "Umm... face and neck, I think, arms..." Asher's frown began to ease as she spoke. "Sometimes the bosom, if they're wearing low-cut shirts," Madeline added.  
  
    Asher's expression froze, then he put the small bottle back with a decided gesture. "I think they do not need that."  
  
    Madeline's shoulders began shaking with suppressed laughter at his paternal outrage. _God help Mara's future dates,_ she thought, and it was all she could do not to let Asher hear her laugh.  
  
    "Nail polish now?" she offered, as much to distract herself as anything.  
  
    " _Oui_ , nail polish. So many colors!" He turned to her, smoothing his shirt in what Madeline recognized as a habitual gesture of his when he was uncomfortable. "Should I choose pale shades for this too?"  
  
    "No, you can get away with being a little more outrageous with nail polish. I bet Mara will love that purple, " she said, pointing, "and the red with the silver and gold glitter in it."  
  
    He took both off the shelf. "And for Cameron?" She knelt next to him, examining the display, and chose a hot pink, then hesitated over a purplish-pink and a bright red. Asher saw her problem.  
  
    "Get them both, and I will get another color for Mara. What do you think of these nail polish pens?" He picked up one of them. "Why would one need pens? Oh, to make designs, I see." He took two silver and two gold and dropped them in the basket.  
  
    Madeline shook her head in wonder, then spotted a leftover Halloween display. "Oh, look!" she held up one bottle to Asher.  
  
    "Black?" he asked dubiously.  
  
    "Maybe not the color, but I bet she'll flip over the cat-shaped bottle, with how she likes cats."  
  
    "You are right," he said with a quick nod. "Have we forgotten anything?"  
  
    "I think they'll both have more makeup than they'll ever need," Madeline laughed, and Asher gave her a rare smile back.  
  
    " _C'est bon_. Shall we?" He took the basket from her and gallantly offered her his arm.  
  
    As they walked to the checkout stands, Madeline commented, "Now we just have to shop for clothes."  
  
    Asher went a bit pale.  
  
  



	3. Contending With Clothes

  
    "Okay," Madeline announced as Asher settled into the chair next to her. "This is Cameron's favorite website for clothes. They're not cheap, but they have a lot of very cute designs."  
  
    "Money does not matter," Asher dismissed, "as long as the _cadeaux_ are perfect." He frowned suddenly. "Do you know what Marvelle would like? Jean chooses so many of her clothes, I am not sure what she would prefer herself. And she is at the age when making her own choices is important, yes?"  
  
    "Well, I can tell you what I've seen her borrow from Cameron," Madeline soothed him. "That should give us a good starting point."  
  
    " _Oui_ , it will," Asher smiled.  
  
    "Let's look at the jeans first," Madeline suggested.  
  
    They were absorbed in the selection when running footsteps alerted them too late before Mara skittered to a stop in the room. "Papa Asher, have you seen Rushlight? It's time for her medicine and I think she's hiding from me again."  
  
    Asher quickly hid his frown but gave Madeline a rather frantic glance. "Have you looked in the kitchen? She seems to like to sit on top of the cabinets. Check Requiem's room as well. He has complained of finding cat fur on his cloak."  
  
    "Good idea, thank you!" she chirped. Asher had almost relaxed when her sharp eyes spotted the computer screen and she moved closer to look. "What are you looking at?"  
  
    "Your papa is helping me pick out Cameron's Christmas presents," Madeline lied blithely, and Asher silently blessed the human woman's quick wits. "What do you think of this skirt?" she added casually, indicating the screen.  
  
    Mara leaned closer over their shoulders. "The long flowy one? I love it, but I think it's a little too girly for Cammie's taste. She'd lose her mind over that green blouse though," the teen added, pointing, "And those black hipsters to go with." She studied the screen in silence for a few moments, then added wistfully, "Cammie is so lucky."   
  
    Then with typically teenage lightening-fast change of focus, she stood straight. "Anyway, I have to go find my cat. See you later." She kissed Asher's cheek, then Madeline's, and dashed out of the room.  
  
    When her footsteps down the hall died away, Asher looked at Madeline. "You," he told her fervently, "are a genius."   
  
    She gave him a saucy grin. "Glad you finally noticed. Now let's shop."   
  
  
_Much later..._  
  
    "I'm telling you, she'd love this dress," Madeline urged.  
  
    "It is... very short," Asher said with a frown.   
  
    Madeline waved that off. "She can wear it with tights. And look, it's long sleeved, and doesn't show an inch of cleavage."  
  
    "That is of little consequence when it is so fitted," Asher argued. "See how it shows off the model's form? Marvelle is a lovely young lady, and I do not trust the boys to be gentlemanly."  
  
    "You can't dress a thirteen year old girl like a nun, Asher," Madeline said with some asperity. "Trust me, if you don't get her clothes that let her feel daring, she'll get some herself, and you can bet they'll be worse than what you choose."  
  
    Asher gave her a long-suffering look. "Can we not at least buy it a size larger? If she grows to be shaped like her mother..." he trailed off meaningfully. He had never thought he would regret Anita's alluringly generous endowment, but the thought of boys' reaction to his adored daughter having a similar figure made him vaguely panicky.  
  
    "Look on the bright side," Madeline said wickedly, "If some boy did get fresh, there would be plenty of time for a rescue. It would take him ages to get through all those buttons."  
  
    Asher hid his face in his hands. "You are going to be the death of me, _madame_."  
  
  
  
  
 _Later..._  
  
    "There, she'll love the stuff you picked out. Is that everything you want to get?" Madeline queried, sitting up straight and rubbing the small of her back.   
  
    " _Non_ , go back to this page," he said, and Madeline sighed inwardly. How much clothes did one girl need? Mara was a smart and surprisingly humble girl, but she was going to be spoiled rotten at this rate.  
      
    "Get the green blouse that Cameron would like," he added to Madeline's great astonishment. "And the... how do you call them... hipsters." Busy digging in his wallet, he missed her eyebrows-up startled look. When he looked up, he gave her a shrug. "Cameron does need a Christmas present," he added casually, and held out his credit card.  
  
    Madeline took the card, shaking her head in silent wonder.  
  
  



	4. The Moment of Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asher presents the presents!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mara's birthday is Nov 21st, hence the mentions of Christmas gifts. :D

  
    "I think that's all your presents, short stuff," Jason announced, and Mara began gathering up her already opened gifts.  
  
    "Not quite." Asher smiled mysteriously and took two pairs of identical boxes from under his chair. He glanced at the tag on one as he sauntered in a leisurely fashion toward the table. "Cameron, this will be part of your Christmas gift, but you will get it now so that the two of you can enjoy your gifts together." He placed one pair of boxes in front of Mara and the other in front of Cameron, who was giving him a wide-eyed startled look.  
  
    The two girls glanced at each other, then snatched up the gifts. Mara began earnestly working at the folds of paper on the side while Cameron simply ripped the paper off with nearly indecent enthusiasm. She fumbled with the tape holding the box closed while Mara removed the paper from hers in a mostly-intact sheet and slid a sharp fingernail in the gap to remove the tape. Cameron gave her a slight pout, but Mara waited while the blond girl scratched at the tape and finally got it loose. The girls glanced at each other once more and opened the boxes.  
  
    Immediately twin squeals of preteen glee broke out.  
  
    "Omigods, I've got makeup!" Mara gasped. "Looklook, isn't this gorgeous?" she added, holding up the blue-green eyeshadow for Cameron's approval. "And purple too!" she added, holding up the other.  
  
    "Oooh, I've got purple too, and pink!" Cameron swiped up a similar compact from her box and showed it to Mara.  
  
    "Oh boy, I think we know who got the hit present for this party," Jason said in a stage whisper as the girls dug happily through their baskets of cosmetics.  
  
    "Look at my blue eyeliner!" Mara held up the slim package. "Look and see what you've got!" she gleefully ordered Cameron.  
  
    "Green!" Cameron held up hers. "And purple!"  
  
    "Awesome, we have matching!" Mara chirped delightedly, snatching up her own purple eyeliner. They became absorbed in emptying the baskets and comparing their new acquisitions.   
  
    "Shouldn't you open your other presents?" Madeline prompted them. She was met with two startled stares, then the girls grabbed their other gifts.  
  
    Upon opening her box, Mara gasped in delight, pulled out the dress and held it against the front of her body, twirling around. "Oh, Papa Asher, it's _gorgeous!_ " she enthused.  
  
    "Hipsters! Oh look, I've been dying for some like this!" Cameron gushed when she opened hers.  
  
    "Look, I think that's a shirt too," Mara pointed into the box, and Cameron snatched up the blouse, nearly squealing with glee.  
  
    Jean-Claude, who was manfully struggling to keep his smile from turning into a laugh, said, "Ma _fille,_ are you forgetting something?" The adolescent blinked up at him for a moment with eyes identical to his, then got it.   
  
    "Thank you, Papa Asher!" She put down the dress and dashed around the table to pounce Asher in an enthusiastic hug and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for my wonderful presents!"   
  
    Not to be outdone, Cameron darted around the other side of the table. Mara moved to Asher's right side just in time for Cameron to throw her arms around him from the other side. "Thank you, Asher! I love my makeup and my clothes!" Cameron said.  
  
    "You're the best!" Mara informed him.  
  
    "The _awesomest!_ " Cameron added. "Thank you so much!"  
  
    " _Merci beaucoup!_ "  
  
    "Yeah, _merci beaucoup!_ "  
  
    Laughing, Asher put an arm around each girl and kissed their cheeks as they cuddled him. " _C'était un plaisir, mes chères filles._ You are both very welcome." Everyone in the room was smiling or laughing at sight of Asher getting swarmed by two thrilled thirteen year old girls. Even the normally dour Anita was smiling. Madeline quickly raised her camera and snapped several shots of the adorable sight while Asher was distracted. She wondered briefly whether Mara had deliberately moved to Asher's scarred side so that the cheek Cameron kissed was smooth and perfect. Amazingly, the scars seemed to be far from Asher's mind as he smiled with an unvarnished joy she had never seen before on the normally guarded vampire.  
  
     _That is so cute,_ she thought. _Who'd have ever guessed it of him?_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    Later that night, Madeline knocked on Asher's door.  
  
    " _Oui?_ " he said when he opened it. "Madeline, please come in."  
  
    "Thanks, but I have to run," Madeline said. "I was just printing out pictures from the party, and I thought you might like a copy of this one." She offered him a photograph.  
  
    Asher took the picture and smiled when he looked at it. It was a beautiful shot of him with a bemused yet pleased expression, being earnestly hugged from both sides by the girls, the raven-haired and pale Mara on the right and blond, tanned Cameron on the left, each with her head on his shoulder, smiling excitedly at each other while they snuggled against him. Apparently his expression had reflected his feelings perfectly- a proud yet befuddled father who, quite to his own astonishment, finds that he has gotten something right and in the process delighted his _petite princesse_.  
  
     _Non,_ he thought, smiling at the sight of the solemn yet joyous Mara, the daughter of his heart, and mischievous, indomitable Cameron in their unselfconscious youthful elation, _princesses_.   
  
  
  _"You're so lucky. You have the best Papas," Cameron had sighed enviously to Mara._  
  
 _Mara grinned at her best friend. "I'll share."_  
  
  
  
  
fin  
  


**Author's Note:**

> French terms:  
> ma fleur - "my flower"  
> ma douce - "my sweet" an endearment.
> 
> A/N: This is a fluff prequel story to my main fanfic series, which sadly seems to have gone *poof* along with Pomme de Sang, the site where it was hosted. So if you like this story then please please do let me know. I'm debating whether to upload the main series, but there is a LOT of it so I want to guage first if there is interest before tackling that sizeable task. Thanks so much for reading!


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